A concern re Enforced Substitutions

[Plain of the Herbs]

I think it is worrying that the impact the enforced substitution rule will have on club hurling and football, if introduced, has not been considered.

Consider this. Most of the clubs (probably ALL the small ones) would use 16 or 17 players during the group stages of the championships, so as not to decimate their junior squad, and so everyone gets games at their level. This means introducing only one, or at most, two subs during a game.

If the enforced sub rule is passed at congress, it will result in a scenario where a team could have, say 4 players yellow carded, and replaced by 4 subs. The subs, in turn, will of course be precluded from playing junion for the rest of the year. They then mightn't get their places on the senior team for the rest of the year resulting in 1) the club's promising young players being idle and 2) a lack of interest from the junior players as the junior team is shorn of its leading players. Another stab in the back for small clubs.

Now, I don't expect Martin Breheny to take up this argument because 1) his columns are preoccupied with bringing cricket, hockey, rugby and soccer to OUR grounds, and 2) he doesn't know theres such a thing as club hurling or football.

[Lone Shark]

I'll be honest, I can't say I'm hugely sympathetic. People seem to keep forgetting that a sin binning is supposed to be a punishment. If it hurts down the line as well - good!

We're supposedly cracking down on foul play, but you can't tell me Dublin didn't benefit from Stephen Cluxton pulling down that man for the penalty last night. The upshot of it all was that Mayo ended up with a point instead of a goal, and lost by one instead of winning by one, because you couldn't say that they suffered for having Murphy instead of Cluxton in goals.

The more punishment for cynical foul play the better.

My only concern is that players aren't ticked for attemtping to tackle fairly, but fouling inadvertently while trying to defend within the rules. As long as those lads aren't getting singled out, you can punish the rest and their clubs/counties and I won't cry over it.

[The Biff]

I agree with the Shark. These Yellow Cards are intended to punish foul play. For too long there has been a culture of so-called "professional fouls" in Gaelic Football in particular. It is just not right that a forward in a good scoring position should be deliberately taken down, and then for the defenders to claim this was a justifiable tactic.

Strong punishments like these are what is required to help us re-find the flowing football that we all want to see more of. Club teams need to learn this too.

[Bord na Mona man]

It is just not right that a forward in a good scoring position should be deliberately taken down.

Conor Evans was definitely through on goal when Dessie brought him down.

[azoffaly]

Interestingly enough, despite preventing Cynical fouling being the reason for this new Sin Bin, of the 6 people carded yesterday, only our own Red Rum, Conor Evans was a defender.

Dessie Dolan and Jimmy Coughlan wore 15
Joe Fallon and that other westmeath lad were 10 and 12 and
Rory O'connell was 8.

Cynical forwards anyone?

[Subiaco]

The refereeing was very inconsistent yesterday. Dessie Dolan was yellow carded for his first foul, while it took Rory O'Connell 4 similar fouls to be sent to the line. Also seemed to be one law for an Offaly man holding onto the ball too long and another law for a WH man holding on too long.

I'd be a bit concerned about going so long in the second half without scoring. A bit like the Kildare game last summer, we went way ahead only to completely concede the game to the opposition. Midfield is very important, and we appeared to lose our way in this area for a long time yesterday. Thankfully WH never got their noses in front and we were able to close the game out in the end.

I'm looking forward to seeing the game under lights next weekend, but won't be able to travel unfortunately.

Well done to the shark boys aswell. You certainly made yourselves heard. I look forward to larger numbers in your company in the warmer days ahead.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Finally the truth is out, for years now we defensive players have been black-marked for no good reason!!! It is about time that the GAA woke up and enabled pure footballers like Conor Evans to play the flowing attacking football they always wanted to play and stopped the negative attitude employed by nearly all forwards who only want the glory for themselves

On a serious note I do think Plain of the Herbs has a point, Junior teams and the like could really suffer due to this rule and its all well and good saying we want to cut out cynical fouling, which of course we do, but the main goal of the G.A.A. is to get as many players playing the games as possible, and as pointed out this rule would lead to a lot of junior players stop playing. One possible solution is a player who is introduced as part of the yellow card substitution is not stopped from playing junior. Now there are pros and cons to this but sure isn’t that why we are here!!

[Lone Shark]

I don't agree with this.

Last year you were allowed use five subs in a game, and most teams did at some stage, as they timewasted like good-oh protecting a two point lead in the last ten minutes. This year you can use six - it's not exactly a sea change.

Anyway, a good player on the brink of the senior team won't quit playing because he's ruled out of junior for the year. If anything it might give encouragement to lads at the other end of the junior panel, who might now get a game.

(Now try guess what standard I am... )

[Treasurer]

Lone Shark, you're right to a point. Every player should be doing their best to make the senior team and if you have a fairly decent sized junior panel, then the loss of a few of the fringe players won't have any real adverse effect.

However, if you take clubs like ourselves where numbers are very tight, losing even one or two players to the senior panel can be the difference in even having a junior team at all.

Where you have players being sent off for relatively minor offences and being replaced, it's bound to have a knock on effect for the smaller clubs.

On county panels, the strength of the subs bench will become increasingly crucial, to the detriment of some counties.

[Doon Massive]

I think the rule change is fine for a club with a huge catchment area such as Ferbane, but for smaller clubs like Doon, its a bigger problem, as our senior team does not have much strength in depth, therefore the junior team must be at risk.
Also, smaller clubs will not have many quality subs to bring in, so it may widen the gulf between the haves and have nots.

It just seems a bit unfair that some players down the food chain at a club may suffer..........but I guess if the discipline is sorted at a club, these problems may not occur, but everyones mate, the ref, will have a large part to play.

End of rant.